Integrated weight vs. non-integrated

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Thal made a good point one day on an issue related to this.

Basically, it's easier to rescue a distressed diver on the surface if you can ditch your weightbelt. Those weren't his exact words, but he said he's had to quickly ditch his weight belt 2 times in his life - both times were when he was rescuing a distressed diver on the surface.

That said, I don't use a weight belt. I have a channel weight for my backplate, which I like better. But I think he makes a good point and I'll probably change over some day.
 
(Warning I am opinionated on this)

Do you mean evilgratrated???

My reasons for not liking them depends on which hat I am wearing at the time. I will start with the most petty and work up to the most deadly.

1. As a diver:
A. Most (I not know all) intergrated BCs have MUCH smaller pockets (I like Pockets)and come down further on the body.

B.The weight causes a lot of extra wear on the BC, requiring replacement (Manufactures like this)

C. Weight pouches get lost, and most manufacturers only sell them in sets.(See last note)

D. Dumping lead should be 1 handed. Many integrated systems require 1 hand for each pocket.

2. As a DM on a dive boat- Changing tanks for the customer with 20 lbs in his jacket just S#$%s!!

3. As an Instructor:
A. each manufacturer is proprietory. The Industry has not standardized their releases. Some pull forward, some pull down. Some need to squeezed, some don't.Some are beige, some are red, (This Would all be ok in if it was in a Dr. Suesse book, but it is not!!)

B.The dangers to a would be rescuer is huge. On many release systems the rescuer (soon to be 2nd victem) pulls the victem into them before the weight is released (not cool).

C. For any release system to be safe the diver must remember how to use it while on the edge of panic. This requires practice. There is at least 1 system out there (although I believe the manufacturer has dicontinued it) that requires being re-threaded after being used. I am an instructor for public safety diving (police & firefighters). The first day of a 2 week ,80 hour course, we do basic skills, of whitch weight removal is one. I have been asked numerous times if a weight belt could be worn for the skill instead of dumping the lead. I tell them only if they plan on wearing a belt for the rest of the coarse.

4. (Most Sobering). As a Sheriff's Office diver- First of all I have never done a recovery when the lead had been dropped. One case comes to mind (yes this person was overweighted). The diver had the BC fully inflated causing the BC to squeeze the weight pockets tight making them impossible to remove.

What ever type of weight system you use be very familiar with it. Know how to release your AND your buddies weights if a situation arises.

In an emergancy, use your head, lose the lead!

Safe dives
trtldvr
www.divealive.org

(let the flaming begin)

If anyone flamed this post, I would laugh at them. Damn, thank you for an excellent post! Hell, that was good enough for me to try a weight belt out next time...the thought of the weight release system not working due to faulty design, too much air, etc. is not exactly encouraging.

Oh, side note, whoever said I'm an idiot for saying someone is an idiot if he/she omits a pre-dive safety check, that statement is wrong on so many levels that I'm not even going to bother quoting it. You'll eventually get yourself killed if you don't do pre-dive safety checks, and if that's your cup of tea, then so be it.
 
A lot of it comes down to where you dive. My wife has an intergrated BCD & we only dive in warm waters, normally above 26Deg C. She only uses 3Kg of weight so adding that to the BCD hardly makes any difference. She has dived with it for 6 years & never lost a pouch yet.
The argument about loosing the weight can work both ways. If you have the weight evenly spread then losing 1 weight will make a difference, but not a s much as loosing a weightbelt conating more weight.

In an emergency OK you have to pull both pouches out, instead of just releasing a buckle, & this will take a bit more time,but not much.
It has the opposite effect on my wife to a weight belt giving her a slightly head down appearance in the water
 
Thal made a good point one day on an issue related to this.

Basically, it's easier to rescue a distressed diver on the surface if you can ditch your weightbelt. Those weren't his exact words, but he said he's had to quickly ditch his weight belt 2 times in his life - both times were when he was rescuing a distressed diver on the surface.

That said, I don't use a weight belt. I have a channel weight for my backplate, which I like better. But I think he makes a good point and I'll probably change over some day.
 
If you go weight integrated with that steel 100 of yours, your BC is going to weight a ton, something that might be an issue if you have to lift it out of the water onto a boat.
 
If you go weight integrated with that steel 100 of yours, your BC is going to weight a ton, something that might be an issue if you have to lift it out of the water onto a boat.

Well, every boat I've ever dived off of, you climb up the ladder or swim deck and onto the boat...you don't hand your gear up. I would imagine most if not all boat operators want to avoid that, since if they have a deck hand constantly stooping down to pick up heavy gear out of the water, they're at a much higher risk of workman's comp claims being filed which of course they have to pay.

As far as lifting the scuba unit goes, usually on land I'll take the weight pockets out if it's convenient to do so, otherwise....hell a lot of the patients I have to lift at work I wish weighed as "little" as my scuba unit even with the steel 100....
 
In South Africa, most of the diving is done off inflatables, and gear is usually handed up to the skipper. First you hand your weight belt/pockets, then your BCD rig.
 
Oh, side note, whoever said I'm an idiot for saying someone is an idiot if he/she omits a pre-dive safety check, that statement is wrong on so many levels that I'm not even going to bother quoting it. You'll eventually get yourself killed if you don't do pre-dive safety checks, and if that's your cup of tea, then so be it.

Maybe I wasn’t making my meaning clear. I was’t trying to say that a pre-dive safety check is something that an idiot would do. I was saying that anyone that would start a BS non-issue thread like this with a post that calls others that don’t dive like you do an idiot, must surely be an idiot. It was caustic, rude and uncalled for, Jack.
 
............The second objection I have is that the weight integration pockets often put the weight (for cold water divers, anyway) where it obligates a feet-down position in the water. Diving at a 45 degree angle to the bottom is inefficient, uncomfortable, wastes gas, and destroys the visibility for everybody behind you. Some well designed BCs have trim pockets that allow weight distribution -- My husband's SeaQuest Balance is one. But some have trim pockets that are at the level of the kidneys, which really doesn't help at all.........

I am a cold water diver and dive a combination of integrated and belt. I do this because it has my trim right where I want it for now. I do not dive feet or head down unless I mean to. However TSandM, I believe that your statement that integrated weights are the cause of improper trim in cold water divers....I humbly disagree. A belt is typically located lower on the person than the integrated (including trim pockets) therefore dragging "your bum" down and lower your feet (or at least they are very close togerther). If you are diving feet down then you want your weight distributed higher on your person. This will pull your top down. I believe the main cause for feet down diving is the lack of experience or the lack of good training / advice. Weight movement may be required (and should be discussed and pointed out by a good dive buddy or trainer) to correct one's trim, but that will happen with either belt or integrated.
 
Steve, you're quite right. If you're diving with considerable weight, and put it all in the weight pockets OR on a belt, you likely be feet down. It's not an advantage of a belt to get proper trim; it comes with proper weight distribution, in either case.
 

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